The Apprentice
by starlinshadow
Summary: The war is over and now regular Hogwarts tradition must be followed. Every teacher must choose an apprentice and there is only one student qualified for Potions.
1. Default Chapter

Professor Snape stood with his arms crossed glowering at his 6th year potions class. They were incompetent, not much more competent than they had been as first year students, with one notable exception. And that exception is what caused the potions master's anger, at least this time. Hermione Granger, resident Gryffindor know-it-all. She had probably read every book in the library the first year that she had arrived at Hogwarts. Snape couldn't understand what exactly it was that annoyed him so much about her. She answered questions in class, she raised her hand an awful lot, but not as much as she had that first year. No, it was her inability to ever make a mistake, thereby not allowing Snape to have any authority over her whatsoever, besides that of a teacher. Intimidation did not work for her. She could hold her own in an argument. The only strike against her was her youth, and even that eventually would not be a problem. No Miss Granger would go far in her life, and that made Severus Snape just a little jealous.

He knew that he had made wrong decisions in his life, once he figured that out he had spent years trying to atone for those sins. At last with the defeat of Voldemort, he was free of spying, but he would never be free of his past, that covered him like a black shrouded robe. But Miss Granger, had never been lured by the dark side, no in fact she had fought on the side of good. She had no blemish on her reputation on her character, or on her soul. She was pure, and brilliant as sunlight, and her flame would never be doused, that didn't mean he couldn't try. It isn't that he wanted to hurt her per say, it's just that she hurt him with her very presence—something that she could never understand.

These thoughts had always plagued the potion master, but today they were especially bad, because he had to pick an apprentice for seventh year potions from this class and the only one even mildly capable was Miss Granger, and Snape did not want to admit this. He emphatically did not want to spend the majority of next year with this girl. But he would suppose that there was not help for it. Last year Draco Malfoy would have been a possibility, however it was not a possibility with the death of his father Draco had fell into a depression that he was just now coming out of, he would have to get extra tutoring over the summer just to keep up with his seventh year classes. No, it would have to be Miss Granger. Snape glared.

"Miss Granger, stay after class."  
  
Hermione was deep in thought as she stared into her caldron, the potions was a deep amber color, absolutely the color it was supposed to be according to the advanced potions book she'd been studying. It wasn't on the curriculum, but somehow most of the potions that Snape had them create never seemed to be in the book, no wonder there were so many incompetent people in his class, you almost had to read outside the curriculum in order to have a clue about the potions brewed in class. She thought that Snape thought that they should be able to use the basic skills that the book taught them to learn how to brew any potion with the instructions on the black board, but with the grades in his class he should look into changing his teaching tactics. Harry and Ron were working together on their potion, unfortunately their potion was a drab brown color, absolutely wrong. Harry looked like he might be trying to get her attention, but she just shook her head, she had no idea what they had done wrong this time and whispered help wouldn't do anything except get points taken away from Gryffindor. She had ten more minutes of stirring counter-clockwise, and then she could stir clockwise for five minutes, then the potion would be done.

The book that she had read had mentioned a couple of short-cuts, but she didn't want to give Snape any reason to draw attention to her. In general she felt very stupid after having any type of conversation with him. Just a couple of years ago she would have sought him out to discuss various potions and to try to get extra projects, there was so much research to be done in the fields of potions and she wanted to be in on it, even at a young age. The one time she'd brought it up to him, he had given her a long lecture about taking up his very important time, during which he'd managed to insult everything from her intelligence to her family and friends. Now she just tried to avoid him as much as possible. She was going to go to college and do research on potions and muggle chemistry, she thought perhaps she might minor in Transfigurations and Charms. She wanted to major in all of these things, but she knew that it would not work, not if she wanted to graduate in four years and get out in the world of work, she figured she could always work on extra degrees by owl after she graduated. She really wanted to do something useful. With the fall of Voldemort, the possibilities for research were endless, new worlds had awoken, without the threat of the Demenotors and Death Eaters. She couldn't wait to get started on her life. One more year after this she thought. Today was after all the last day of sixth year....She sighed.

"Miss Granger" Hermione jumped at the sound of her name from Snape's lips, "Stay after class."

"Yes, sir," she answered quickly. What could Snape possibly want, she thought. So much for avoiding him for this entire year, sad, oh well tomorrow I go home and I can relax for the entire summer. Ah, beach here I come!!

The bell rang and everyone took a vial of their potions up to Snape's desk. Then they all filed out of the room. Generally when leaving a class for the year a chorus of have a good summer and see you next year would follow, but not in Snape's class. This was an unfortunate side effect of Snape being such a bastard.

Hermione approached Snape's desk. She handed him her vial. "Um, sir you wanted to see me?"

"Ah yes," Snape said sitting back in his desk chair turning the vial in his hand. He looked at the vial. "Once again you are the only one in this class to brew the potion correctly."

She just stared at him. He had asked her up here to tell her that she was right? Hermione was very confused.

"As you know," Snape continued oblivious to her confusion, "every teacher has to pick an apprentice from the seventh years. Because of my work with the Order I have not had to do such a thing in past years, however now with the defeat of Voldemort, Dumbledore insists that I follow this tradition. I have looked over the incompetent fools that will no doubt be just as stupid next year. Therefore, there is only one person who even moderately fits the standards for the position. That person, as much as it pains me to say, is you Miss Granger. You will be getting an official owl from Dumbledore this summer, but I had thought to prepare you by giving you a reading list for over the summer. You've no doubt read everything here on potions and every other subject, but some of these books are very rare. I am entrusting you with them, and I expect you to know them backwards and forwards by the start of term."

Hermione just stared at him for a moment, taking it all in. She was going to be a potions apprentice! She was going to be able to work with and experiment with potions! She would have a right to ask Snape the questions she wanted answers to! She had new books to read!!! She didn't know which thought was more thrilling.

"Thank you sir, will that be all?" She calmly asked. All she wanted to do was jump up and down, but she knew that Snape respected only mature adults and acting like a kid in a candy store may be the best way for him to revoke his offer. She couldn't wait to get back to her dorm and start in on the books. Who cared about the end of year feast, she had new books to read!

"Yes, Miss Granger that will be all. Please be aware that your letter will have more specific instructions for your apprenticeship next term. Please be aware that we will be working, you will not have a lot of time for frivolities and running about with Potter and Weasly. Be prepared to work." And with that Snape dismissed her. She picked up the rather large stack of books and headed back to her dorm room. Next year was going to be extremely interesting.

Snape set back in his chair and stared at the ceiling. He hoped that he had made the right decision. Not, he snorted, that there had been much of a decision. No Granger, really was the only possible candidate for this position. Next year was certainly going to be interesting.

Summer passed uneventfully for both Snape and Hermione. Hermione had all of the books Professor Snape had assigned by the second week of summer, she had reread them all at least twice by the time that the second month rolled around. By July, she had received her letter about the apprenticeship. There were not really that many instructions. She had to get a new caldron, one made out of gold for especially complex potions. The peaceful summer however was interrupted by a letter from Dumbledore. Dumbledore had decided to have an Order meeting for "old times sake." Hermione didn't understand why he would do this now. Voldemort had only been defeated now for about a semester. It was not like a five year reunion or anything. No, Hermione knew that he had another agenda, she just didn't know what it was yet.

Hermione showed up at the old headquarters, at the time that was designated on the card. She walked into the kitchen and the first person she saw was Snape sitting at the table reading and sipping a cup of tea. It was odd, she knew he was part of the Order and that he would be there, but she didn't think that she'd ever seen him in such a relaxed state. He really wasn't bad looking when he didn't have a harsh glare on his face. She shook her head what was she thinking. Molly Weasly was cooking something on the stove.

"Hello, Hermione, how are you?" Molly asked jovially. "How has this summer been treating you, please sit down, have a cup of tea."

"Summer's been great. I've been to the beach a couple times, for the most part I've just been reading. I had some new literature to keep me busy." She glanced over at Professor Snape but he didn't look like he had even heard her. "So how is everyone at the Burrow?"

"Oh everyone's great! Harry stayed with us this summer. Harry and Ron actually should be along shortly."

"Where is everyone else?"

"Well, I don't know. My letter said to come early, so here I am! Honestly I don't know what's going on that it's so important that we meet."

"There's nothing going on," Snape interrupted. "Dumbledore just wants to get everyone together and have a party unfortunately, there is no way for any of us to get out of it, so we just have to...what's that muggle term again, oh yes, grin and bear it."

Hermione looked at him with disbelief. "Well, that's just peachy. I could have been reading the Advanced Proportions of the Secret Art of Potion Brewing."

"I would have thought, Miss Granger, that you would have already been through all of the books."

"I am, I just wanted to read them again. Actually I am on the third round."

The party passed uneventfully. Harry, Ron, and Hermione discussed next semester and all the things that were happening. Harry was looking forward to a year without the threat of Voldemort. Hermione told them about her apprenticeship with Professor Snape.

"You are going to spend extra time with Professor Snape???" Ron almost yelled.

Snape was sitting over in the corner pointedly ignoring everyone when Ron had his outburst. He sent a glare in their direction, then he swept out of the room.

"Ron that was decidedly rude," Hermione said haughtily. "Professor Snape is a great Potion Master and I will learn a lot from him. I can't wait to start the research."

She didn't know that Snape had heard her defend him, and it had started to heal one of the cracks on his heart. No one ever gave him praise. He knew he was good, but no one ever said to his face "good job."

Then Hermione continued, "I can't wait to discuss potions and research. I get to ask all the questions that I have been wanting to ask since like third year!"

"Hermione, are you talking about when you had that crush on Snape!"

"No dummy, that was fourth year."

Snape almost fell over. Never before had a student ever had a crush on him. And while it was obvious that she no longer suffered from the malady, it was still awfully shocking. It made him almost want to look at Miss Granger in a new light. Then he shook off the thought turned on his heel and walked out of the house.


	2. The Last Day of Summer

Author's Note: Thank you everyone who reviewed, your reviews are awesome!! I am new at writing fanfiction and I have been so nervous about posting my work, I really hope that you all are enjoying the story. Every time that I see my reviews I feel like jumping up and down and screaming with excitement!   
  
Anyway I also must give a disclaimer this time because I totally forgot the last time. Okay here goes....  
  
Disclaimer: I do not nor have I ever owned any of the characters in Harry Potter, if I did I would be much, much richer and my student loans would not have amounted to the monstrosity that have risen to. I just enjoy writing and reading about characters that I love!  
  
...okay how'd I do?  
  
The beginning of the year. Once again, but for the last time, Hermione was packing her trunk and heading to Hogwarts. As she folded her robes she thought of the upcoming year. She was really excited about working as the potions apprentice, but she was still concerned about working so closely with Snape. The man seriously hated her. Just because he had worked on the side of light for the war, did not give her the illusion that he hated her any less. Just because he didn't want to kill innocent people did not mean that Hermione Granger was now on his most favorite people list. Now that she thought of it though, she wasn't sure that Snape had any favorite people, and certainly not enough to require a list.  
  
She sighed her gaze wandering to the stack of books that Snape had lent her for the summer. She had done what he asked and now knew them backwards and forwards, but she knew that would still not impress him, nothing would. As an apprentice, she would be seeing him everyday. She would still sleep in the dorms, but she was to be in the potions room at any time that the instructor required. Traditionally the student who was doing the apprenticeship would acquire chambers near the instructors, however this tradition had been forgone,. Snape had no desire to see more of her than necessary, she thought. She sighed again as she placed the last item in her trunk and closed the lid.  
  
Hermione thought that perhaps she was a little depressed. It was exciting to now be the upperclassmen at Hogwarts, but at the same time, this was it. This was the end of her Hogwarts career. She would be leaving and never returning. Or even if she did ever return, it would not be in the student capacity. This would be the last year that Harry, Ron, and she would be spending together. She knew that they would always be friends in their hearts, but after school was over they would all go their own ways, it would not be the same. Although, this year wouldn't be the same either, Hermione thought, after all Snape did say that there would be no time for frivolities.  
  
And that crush...she'd totally forgotten about the crush she used to have on Snape. Harry and Ron had teased her mercilessly about it, after they'd gotten over the "ick factor" of course. It probably helped them to be a little more understanding when they knew that nothing would come of it. Why had she had a crush on Snape? It didn't take her long to remember, like everything else she had done, it was more a crush on his brains than his looks...She just hoped that her crush didn't return this year, it was going to be hard enough working with the man.  
  
"Hermione, time for supper!" Hermione's mother called up the stairs. Well, she thought tomorrow, will start the new term, I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens.  
  
"Coming Mum!" she yelled back. She exited her room and made her way down the stairway to have supper with her family for the last time that summer.  
  
Snape woke up on the last day of summer vacation with a sense of dread. The last day of freedom before another year of these...children. He stared at the ceiling of his dungeon rooms. Maybe it was time for a career change, after all he had assumed the teaching position once as a refuge from the Dark Lord, then as a key player in the war, now the war was over, and his life could perhaps be lived. The dark mark had faded almost completely away. It faintly remained, a reminder to him of his indiscretions, but also proof that Voldemort was truly gone. Snape knew that even though a new evil would probably rise, they always seemed too, but he would not be a part of it. He had learned his lessons well.  
  
There must be many things that a Potions Master could do with his life, he thought. He climbed out of bed and made his way into the bathroom, where he then jumped into the shower. Contrary to popular belief Snape did shower regularly, although he did neglect his hair care routine. He washed it, but people in his profession were supposed to use a special protective conditioner to make his or her hair appear normal. It didn't really matter to him what he looked like, and spending most of the day bent over a caldron, did not make his neglected hair appear healthy.  
  
Tomorrow, why did the thought of this school year fill him with more dread that all of the others combined, including the years spent as a spy for the Order? Then just as he was rinsing the last of the soap off of his body, he remembered, Miss Granger. Snape had almost forgot that her apprenticeship would also start with the new school year. He could feel a headache coming on. Then he thought back to the party over the summer, and how she had defended him to Potter and Weasley. How she had actually seemed excited to be working with him. Maybe he could stand her this year. Maybe if she tried, he would as well. However, never one to think positively Severus Snape shook his head. Yeah, Snape thought, and Draco Malfoy is my biological son. He snorted at his own sarcasm and made a conscious decision to enjoy his last day of freedom and to look into a career change for the upcoming years. This would be his last year in Hogwarts...the thought made him smile. Now if there was just a way to deal with the Granger situation... 


	3. The First Day of School

Disclaimer: I still don't own 'em. (Do I have to say this every time??? LOL)  
  
Hermione was having a very bad day, this was not a good way to start off the school year. First, for some unexplainable reason, she had slept through her awakening charm. For the first time in her school career, she had missed breakfast and was unable to do a quick overview of her readings that were due for the day. All of which she had read many, many times, but it helped her to recall small seemingly insignificant details at the drop of a hat in class if she reviewed at breakfast. Harry and Ron were always whining at her for reading and studying so much, but honestly if they thought about it, it was the same as Quittich to them. They just had different interests.  
  
Not only, did she completely miss breakfast, but then she was late to her first class. Hermione was never late for anything. Professor Flitwick was stunned when a harried looking Hermione rushed into his classroom, almost fifteen minutes late. He was shocked speechless and didn't wasn't even able to form the thought to deduct house points. Unfortunately it was a given that she would lose points for this, tardiness was unacceptable, a sediment that Hermione usually agreed wholeheartedly with, but it was just another layer on the already crap cake that had thus far made up her day.  
  
At lunch she tried to gain some sense of order in her mind, so that she could successfully survive the rest of the day. Unfortunately, Ron and Harry seemed against that idea, they persisted in asking her if she was alright, over and over until she wanted to scream. After lunch they had potions. She wasn't quite sure that she was ready for this, but skipping was entirely out of the question. It had to be the first time that she had consciously thought about skipping a class, however it was entirely out of the question, and not just for the normal reasons, latter in the day she would have her first meeting with Snape, the official beginning of her Apprenticeship. Honestly she thought it might just be easier to try to test out of all the other classes and concentrate solely on potions. However, that would also mean the only person she would ever see was Snape. Somehow the stress of the day seemed too much for Hermione and the thought of five hours with Snape just didn't sit well.  
  
During Potions, Hermione was ceremoniously ignored. Snape didn't even remind her about the upcoming meeting, unfortunately that probably meant that he wished that she'd forget. She decided to skip the evening meal in an effort to avoid Ron and Harry's questions again at her asking and also to avoid any ribbing that she would undoubtedly occur for her Snape apprenticeship.  
  
Later that evening Hermione made her way down to the dungeons for her first meeting with Professor Snape. Not surprisingly Snape was nowhere to be found. There was however a note on his desk for her.  
  
Miss Granger  
  
Before we can begin specific training and research, it is imperative that you be able to brew this list of potions. Many of them you have already done in classes form previous years, however I still require proof that you have not forgotten such things over the summer. I require a vial of each before we begin any of the research. Also there is a small list at the bottom that requires a full batch for Madame Pomfrey and the medical ward, as a Potions Mistress, if you ever get to that point of which I have serious doubts about your level of commitment, you will be required to brew said potions quite frequently.  
  
P. Snape  
  
Oh the nerve of that man, "if you even get to that point," lack of commitment my ass! That man knows how much I work, she thought. Hermione took a deep breath and tried to calm down, she knew that this was what Snape was like, she shouldn't let it get to her...but this isn't how the rest of the year was going to be was it? She knew that Snape had not wanted an Apprentice, but he wasn't going to deliberately ignore her... She then began to think of the quickest way to brew these potions. She thought that she could probably finish the list in about a month.  
  
Well that's one problem taken care of, Snape thought. That list should take at least two months after that I'll just have to think of some other projects to keep her busy and out of my presence... The thought of this made him smile, unlike the thought of the upcoming teachers meeting to discuss the Apprentices for the various teachers and to meet any new people on the staff. The new DADA professor seemed to be a bit more competent that pervious teachers, and Snape had no grudge against this one, yet. His name was Wolf Johnson, he had worked with a task force against Voldemort and wanted a change of pace after the end of the war. Johnson was probably in his early thirties, but he seemed to know what he was doing. Snape had resigned himself to the fact that he would never get that position, however by this time, Snape was sure that he didn't want it. That position would require way to much contact with the students, Potions suited him just fine. He could yell at the students when he wanted, but he didn't really have to be all that close to him. He had also spent way to much time in the dark arts as it is, he didn't want to spend any more time immersed in them than he had to. Which was actually not at all, now that Voldemort was out of the picture.  
  
Hermione had conjured up about twenty black caldrons and a long bench on which to set them. Each potion would have to be mixed and stirred initially by itself, but after the first stirring, they could be left to boil only attending to them when needed. Hermione planned to set charms on each of them with a warning bell in her room, to remind her which ones needed to be stirred. She'd show him.  
  
It was almost two o'clock in the morning by the time that she stumbled back to her bed, tired but completely invigorated. She had about half of the potions started, the easier ones of course, she would start on the harder ones tomorrow. This was going to be an interesting month.  
  



	4. Lurking

Author's Note: Sorry for the delay in updating. Life just happens you know, it seems you have one thing figured out and then another one just pops up. I don't know how often I will be able to update now that my classes have started and the college semester is hitting me hard, but I will try to keep posting.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed!

Disclaimer: None of these characters belong to me, except Wolf, cause I made him up, lol. Isn't Wolf a great name?

The second day of school, proceeded much better for Hermione, she now had a schedule worked out, that wouldn't kill her, and she had strengthened her awakening charm, so that sleeping through it was no longer an option. Every night she would make her way down to the dungeons to check on her potions. She was tired and moody, as Harry and Ron told her every day, but there was no way that she was going to let Snape win.

Wolf Johnson could not sleep. Memories from the war, and his dead fiancé kept him awake long into the night. What he needed to do was brew some dreamless sleep potion. He had used the last of the previous batch he had brewed before he came to claim his teaching position. He knew that he could go to the infirmary, but he really didn't want to talk to anyone about his problems. It would be so much easier to brew it himself. He decided then to go down to the dungeons and get some ingredients, he was sure that the Potions Master wouldn't care, the sleep potion required ingredients that were very

common, even if he did care, he probably wouldn't miss them.

It was about a week into the school year, he had thought that it would take a little more time for him to become comfortable enough at Hogwarts for the nightmares to return. He threw on his old black robe, that looked a lot like his teaching uniform, in case he ran into any of his students on the way down to the dungeons. He quietly slipped out of the room and made his way down to the dungeons. The hallways were silent, no students were about, and for that he was profoundly grateful. He hadn't yet taken any points from his students, and he was not sure if he ever wanted to, except perhaps in extreme circumstances. He liked teaching, he liked that now he was surrounded by life, as opposed to the death that he experienced throughout most of his life. The door to the potion's lab rose in front of him, there was a light on under the crack of the door. Obviously someone was having a late night. He rose his fist to knock on the door.

Hermione was humming. The caldron full of dreamless sleep potion that she had brewed as part of the Pomfrey batch was finished. The potion itself wasn't that hard or time consuming, but when she had to make a batch for a hundred people, it took a little longer to brew. But she was halfway done with her list, the easiest potions being completed. A couple of the potions took a month to brew, but other than that the constant running around was going to be able to be stopped. All she could think was, Thank God!

She was pouring the last of the silvery-blue liquid from the caldron into the tiny glass vials, when someone knocked on the door.

Hermione froze, as Snape's apprentice she was allowed to be down in the Potion's lab whenever she felt that she needed to be. So far though no other people had been down here. There was only one person, that would have any reason to be down here, and that was Snape. Hermione was not sure she was prepared for Snape when in walked....not Snape. This man was a little taller than her, he had sandy blond hair, and grayish blue eyes. He was wearing blue robes that accented his eyes. It was Professor Johnson, the new DADA professor. Hermione had only been in his class four times, she only had DADA three times a week. He was a pretty good professor, of course, it didn't really matter as much she thought, now that Voldemort was gone, the threat is lessened and extreme competency in that class was not required, but it was still nice.

"Hello, Professor Johnson. What brings you down to the dungeons?"

"Hello, Miss Granger. I was looking for some supplies to brew a dose of Dreamless Sleep Potion."

"Oh, well, I just happen to have brewed a batch, would you like a vial?"

Snape felt annoyed. Not guilty, just annoyed, after having a meeting with the other teachers about their apprentices and the programs they intended to do, he realized that he was not doing his job. If there was one thing that Snape prided himself on it was doing what he was supposed to do, in the line of duty and in the line of his life, and it annoyed him to be reminded of the fact that he was not doing his job. Even though he hated Granger and her little team, and he hated the fact that he had to do this anyway, he knew that he'd better get down there and do something about it. Glancing at the clock, he saw that it was nearing midnight, knowing Miss Granger, she would probably be down in the potions lab, even at the late hour. Granger is nothing if not dedicated. She probably even knew what he had been trying to do. Hmm, he thought, it might be fun to try to throw her a little off balance. With that thought, he stood up, off the plush Slytherin green chair he had been sitting on, pulled on his long black robe, that whipped around him, like velvet liquid, and swept into his office that was nestled between the potion classroom and his rooms.

"...Would you like a vial?" Snape heard as he entered the room. Miss Granger was there, but then he hadn't expected any less, but the other man was a surprise. Professor Johnson, what was he doing in the portions lab, with a student late at night? This information could be very useful, Snape thought. He decided to wait in the shadows, and listen. Knowing very confidential information had saved his life more than once during his spy days, and while those days were over, he was not about to pass up the opportunity to know more than he should.

Granger was looking quite happy today, he thought. He wondered if it had anything to do with this obvious secret meeting between Johnson and herself. A teacher/student affair? He needed more evidence. So he waited and listened.

"Miss Granger, I couldn't take any of that, you have obviously worked very hard on this batch. What are you making it for anyway? Do you have nightmares, too?"

"No, well yes, I suppose that everyone has nightmares after the final battle, but that's not why I am brewing this potion. You see," she looked at him a moment her eyes shining bright with mischief, "I want to do an experiment, I want to see how much of this I can drink and what effect it will have on my body."

Johnson looked startled for a moment, "You really shouldn't do that, you could kill yourself." He looked so earnest as he said it, that she relented.

"I was only joking. No, alas, I am Professor Snape's apprentice, I have to make a list of potions before I can get to the really good stuff."

"Ah yes, the Apprentice program, I have yet to choose an Apprentice, Dumbledore said that I could wait a couple weeks until I found just the right person for the position. He said because I was new and didn't know any of the students here. Do you have any suggestions?"

Snape, even as romantically incompetent as he knew he was, could hear the flirty tone that seemed to underlay those words, Up until this point he had respected Johnson, but obviously he had been wrong about a person. It wasn't like it was the first time, but Snape just hated to be wrong. He decided that it was very important to keep an eye on those two.


	5. Chapter 5

Author's note: It's been awhile... I really appreciate the reviews and the people who are still reading this story. No promises, but Hermione and Severus have been a little insistant as of late for me to work on their story. Obviously this is still not going to be in any way cannon. Basically everyone is alive, but Voldemort, much as it was when I first began the story... lol Anyway, enjoy please enjoy this chapter and I am sorry that I am one of those WIP authors... **Hangs head in shame**

Disclaimer: I do not own anything in the Harry Potter universe.

Snape watched Miss Granger very closely at breakfast the next morning. Nothing seemed to be amiss. If hadn't seen it with his own two eyes, he wouldn't believe that she was involved in an illicit affair. Well, he could nip that one in the bud. Sweeping away from the table, he left his breakfast half eaten and walked down to his dungeon. He sat down at his scarred desk and swept the feather quill out of his ink pot. Putting the quill to paper he penned a quick letter to Miss Granger. This should get her attention. He smirked.

_Miss Granger:_

_I have been informed that you have better things to do with your time than follow instructions. You will meet me in my office tonight at 8 o'clock. We will be discussing your duties as an apprentice and as student. Do not be late._

_Professor Snape_

The letter arrived just as she was finishing breakfast. A small grey owl carried the letter. She thanked him and opened the letter. As she read the letter the people at the table began to notice her growing agitation.

"Look out, Harry," Seamus said nudging him with his elbow. "Hermione looks like she's going to blow her top."

"'Mione, what's wrong?" Harry looked bewildered as his normally calm friend's face went a dark shade of purple and she began sputtering.

"That…that…BASTARD! Not follow instructions? What am I doing if not doing everything I am supposed to? What is his problem?" With that she got up from the table, leaving the boys to stare at each other and wonder what the hell all that was about.

Hermione knew she had to calm down before her meeting with Snape. "Cannot kill the professor…cannot kill the professor," she chanted over and over again as she walked down the hall.

"Miss Granger, are you well?" She looked up and Professor Johnson was staring down at her looking very concerned.

"Oh, yes Professor. I just have a meeting tonight and I was planning on working on an essay, so I am heading to the library to work on that now."

"Um. Don't you have a class?"

She did. The thought of sitting through Binn's Advanced History of Magic class was not a promising thought. She was so angry that she might just stand up and yell at him. Tell him that it was unacceptable that they didn't talk about anything done in the last century more than a week or two, and most of that was centered on the final battle. She supposed that it made the finals easy for those who didn't care, but it was unacceptable for people to go through school and not know history. Those who did not learn from the past were doomed to repeat it.

"Oh—um. It's cancelled today."

He did not look convinced, but let her continue on her way.

The day progressed much as days seem to no matter how one feels and 8 o'clock loomed. Snape had spent part of his day planning a potion research assignment for the brilliant Miss Granger. As he had decided that he was going to leave Hogwarts at the end of the year, he needed to find a job. What better way to find a new job than to create a new area of Potions research… He smiled slightly to himself. If nothing else, Granger was excellent at research, and anything that she worked on, technically, belonged to him. For the year, she was his, and he planned to use her to his full advantage. There would be no time for her to cohort with people like Johnson or her two little friends. The only problem was that Snape hadn't yet decided what area of Potions that he wanted to research. Medical potions always had a good monetary turnout, but most of the sales of those were regulated by the Ministry, so he would be under a government contract. Cosmetic potions would really sell, but they wouldn't help a Potions Master make his name in the Potions community. He really didn't want to deal with defensive potions, after all the war had just ended. Maybe in a few years he would look into that avenue. The real question was what is more important: fame, fortune, or notoriety? No matter what decision he made Granger would be very busy.

In the library, Hermione was still fuming. She knew what she wanted to work on: A potion that would help with victims of Wizarding Alzheimer's. Or at least what was the wizarding equivalent to the muggle disease. In the wizarding world, they didn't even name it. Hermione believed that she could either find a cure, or find something that would at least halt the process of the disease. Losing herself was a fate that Hermione did not even want to dwell on. Sometimes, if she thought too long about the prospect of losing her memories, what shaped her as her, she would go into a depression that lasted for days. She had seen her grandfather slowly die from complications from this disease. She wanted to find a cure. Ideally she wanted a cure that she could use in both the muggle and the wizarding world, but she would start with the magical world. If she based her research first in magical theory, she could potentially find the muggle equivalent. She had been doing some research on the Obliviate charm and also on memory restoration potions. Usually these memory potions just dealt with memories that had been erased via a spell or another potion, but Hermione was certain that there would be a way to bridge the magical and natural and come up with some sort of solution.

She had been looking forward to discussing this project with Professor Snape, but he didn't even seem interested in whether or not she had completed the list of potions that he had set out for her. She brushed a lock of curly brown hair behind her ear and glanced at her watch. 7:45 time to head down to the dungeons—time to deal with him.


End file.
